Site Search

Iran updates : The US and Iran are continuing technical talks, a person familiar said, following two days of airstrikes by both sides that threatened a fragile ceasefire. Oil steadied after yesterday’s decline Markets : chips stocks recover helping Asia, SK Hynix eyes blockbuster listing, JPY and pension shift is a NO brainer really JGB's spiked, China bought 480,000 ounces #GOLD in June, When you look at the US trade deficit with South Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan (combined), it is just wow (U.S Ai spending creating the bubble in Asia..chart available on request) >> MUST follow JPY from here, need PF confirmation, this could clearly be big long-term shift Micron spending plan buoys sector: the tech-heavy Nasdaq closed 1.3% higher overnight after Micron unveiled plans to invest more than $250bn in the United States through 2035, lifting the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index 3%, FEDE Warsh announced leadership of 5 task force, #JPY Japan urges its pension funds to invest more at home, boosting Yen (CLEARLY big if true, MUST follow, and Germany has just approved its biggest growth agenda in 21st century, It has the fiscal space to recover its industrial strength and rebuild the foundations of EU growth The AI race has a bottleneck nobody's talking about. It's not chips. It's not data. It's not regulation. It's a century-old device called the electrical transformer/thread Eric Trump’s Bitcoin Bet Erases $600 Million From Family Fortune Yen steady on pension shift hopes: the currency strengthened to 161.69 per dollar after Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said the government would encourage pension funds, including the GPIF, to increase holdings of domestic assets, lifting Japanese bonds in tandem Banijay selects London for merged TV group's headquarters UK politics are seriously bonkers these days, The Met is now investigating Reform UK itself, and two people have been interviewed under caution THIS could be BIG .. MUST follow .. Japan urges its pension funds to invest more at home, boosting Yen It is a no brainer and is required in addition to BoJ policy, if they serious they need Pension Funds's power. JGB's spiked (10's down 10bp in yields terms), less of a reaction in JPY, yet anyway Federal Reserve Board - Federal Reserve announces the leadership and objectives of its task forces to advance the conduct of monetary policy Japan urges its pension funds to invest more at home, boosting Yen EU regulators hit US wall in quest for private credit data Germany news: Federal Cabinet approves draft 2027 budget Berlin’s 2027 budget raises spending to €555bn and borrowing to €204bn. The package includes €10bn in tax relief, labour flexibility, pension reforms & a major defence expansion Nic on X: "The AI race has a bottleneck nobody's talking about. It's not chips. It's not data. It's not regulation. It's a century-old device called the electrical transformer. 90% of all electricity passes through one & lead times have gone from months to years. Prices have surged https://t.co/jofumtJeI4" / X Eric Trump’s Bitcoin Bet Erases $600 Million From Family Fortune EasyJet agrees to rival £5.7bn takeover bid by US giant Apollo Banijay selects London for merged TV group's headquarters SK Hynix eyes blockbuster US debut with $149 ADR target, Bloomberg reports Labour says Reform faces ‘legitimate questions’ over £500k ‘Met Police donation probe’ | The Independent Katusa Research on X: "China bought 480,000 ounces in June. That’s its 20th consecutive month of buying, and its LARGEST purchase since October 2023. In twenty years of financing resource deals... We've never watched a bull market die while the largest, slowest money on earth was speeding up its https://t.co/HSjM6EfFwh" / X

Iran updates : wasn't this over ? The US said it completed fresh strikes against Iran, hitting some 90 military targets along the coastline. Iran launched missiles and drones at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, state-run Press TV reported, Hormuz Traffic Grinds to a Near Halt as Ceasefire Under Threat Markets : something we been talking about for a while...MAG7 are now burning cash relative to the Chipmakers (Thread), SpaceX below IPO level (coming back to earth!..), FED official split over direction of interest rates (minutes), Japan considers policy wording change as BOJ independence fears roil bonds >>> FX szteady to boring still !, rates steadily higher still !, plenty of rotation within equity markets, overall valuation still too high, energy, oil related names beginnign to look interesting MSFT just betrayed OpenAI and Anthropic, the two companies it helped build / Thread Trump said Spain agreed to pay more after he threatened a trade embargo during the NATO summit. Meanwhile, Switzerland believes there’s a “good chance” of securing a lasting deal with the US at 15% tariff rates Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey confirms that Reform leader Nigel Farage “made his views… very clear” on cryptocurrencies and the development of a digital pound in a private meeting at the Bank last September….(no impact on their decision) and Farage’s £5m gift reported to UK crime agency over money laundering concerns (hence why Coutts closed his account..) China consumer price growth weakens in June while producer inflation rises to near 4-year high MAG7 cash burn worrying !!... (9) Post | LinkedIn It is now happening fast , the likes of Apollo and others been on this for a while 062826-Mag7.pdf Fed minutes June 2026: officials split on rates NATO chief tells BBC that Trump comments are like 'family argument' Japan considers policy wording change as BOJ independence fears roil bonds | Reuters China consumer price growth weakens in June, producer inflation quickens Hormuz Traffic Grinds to a Near Halt as Ceasefire Under Threat Iran war updates: Explosions as US forces carry out ‘additional strikes’ | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera Trump Orders U.S. to Cut All Trade With Spain as Feud Escalates at NATO Summit Meta to Build First Data Center in Canada, Expanding Global Fleet | Financial Post Ricardo on X: "Microsoft just betrayed OpenAI and Anthropic, the two companies it helped build. And it could break the entire AI trade... Here's what happened: Inside Excel and Outlook, two of the most used business apps on Earth, Microsoft has started routing tens of thousands of AI https://t.co/Wh4BLDMbPV" / X Bank of England Confirms Farage's Crypto Lobbying Had No Impact on CBDC Strategy - Blockonomi Revealed: Farage’s £5m gift reported to UK crime agency over money laundering concerns | Nigel Farage | The Guardian Microsoft to Lay Off 4,800 Employees Amid Massive AI Investment | Times Now Cant' make this up.. Fox News on X: "President Trump switches planes in the U.K. on his return to Washington after the NATO Summit, disembarking the older Air Force One and boarding the newer Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar and refurbished for presidential use. In a Truth Social post, Trump said he initially flew the https://t.co/cXsuhWyCLK" / X

Iran war updates : US bases targeted by Iran after fresh strikes, Trump renews Greenland threats at NATO summit, says U.S. could remove troops from Europe Markets : JP Morgan just released their Q3 Guide to the Markets (Thread-charts), Russian bonds imploding (10y yields 16.60+) , #JPY carry trade ? ahead of BoJ hike, RBNZ lifts rates to 2.5%, #JPY this will soon start to matter .. Japan’s borrowing costs soar to 30-year high on debt fears (JP30Y: Japan 30 Year Treasury - Stock Price, Quote and News - CNBC) techs/AI struggling (massive spending & monetization of it all + big funding costs..beginning to matter!), USD stable to stronger, UST yields back near HIGHS, 10y 4.56%... with all these mountains of debts to toll ahead of us.. >>> overall plenty of risk out there still, many parts of Eq markets look mispriced given yields.. Worries over long-term spending plans help push bond yields to highest since 1996 Political survivor Le Pen makes her boldest gamble yet for France's presidency Chanos : ''the AI trick: in a spending boom, one dollar gets counted twice. booked as profit by the company selling the gear - quietly depreciated by the one buying it. earnings look unstoppable… until the spending stops China's Real Estate market has erased all gains from the last 20 years. Housing prices are expected to fall even further, in line with the Chinese policy that "houses are for living, not for speculation" What a complete farce this is, Farage only cares about himself, other parties refuse to run in Farage by-election, he ma<y well have lost it already #miscalculated it ! Swiss Bank J. Safra Sarasin to Buy Remaining Stake in Saxo Bank - MarketWatch Fantastic news for our clients NATO Summit 2026 Live Updates: Trump, Macron, Meloni, Others Reach Turkey For Key Summit As Russia-Ukraine War Escalates | Times Now Japan’s borrowing costs soar to 30-year high on debt fears Russia 10-Year Government Bond Yield - Quote - Chart - Historical Data - News Tuesday, July 7. Russia’s War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine US bases targeted by Iran after fresh strikes: Live Trump talks Greenland at NATO, says U.S. could pull troops from Europe Le Pen says she'll run for French presidency next year despite court-ordered monitor : NPR Robert Peston on X: "It was supposed to be a by-election with the purpose for Nigel Farage of clearing his name in the court of public opinion, or at least in a people’s court consisting of Clacton-on-Sea’s voters. He may have gambled and lost already. The point is that the Tories were the only" / X #JPY EndGame Macro on X: "The Yen Shock That Could Put Markets on Life Support The scary part here is that Japan may be forced to save itself in a way that hurts everyone else. For decades, Japan was the world’s cheap funding source. Near zero rates let investors borrow yen, sell yen, buy higher https://t.co/5yTyM5ni1I" / X Just looking at 'double bookings' 0xDipper on X: "Jim Chanos called Enron before it collapsed - by reading the one page everyone skipped. now he says the same trick is hiding in plain sight again. the trick: in a spending boom, one dollar gets counted twice. booked as profit by the company selling the gear - quietly https://t.co/fkGG0jqtV0" / X Dividendology on X: "JP Morgan just released their Q3 Guide to the Markets. It's over 71 pages of institutional-grade research with hundreds of charts and data points. I just went through the entire document and compiled the 16 most important charts: 🧵👇" / X

China's Real Estate Market has erased all gains from the last 20 years/Chart >>> '''This is brilliant and should be studied by central bankers everywhere! Peoples Bank of China was the first to deflate a massive, leveraged housing bubble without a single quarter of economic contraction or loss of growth momentum in the real economy. A success for the history books''' >> remember how everyone back in 2020-21 talked about a China Lehman moment, here we are, real estate bubble deflated and there was NO crash Markets : Techs underperforming, DAX new ATH's (most of Europe in fact), crude stays sub $70, PM's recover/well-off lows-base in place-possible turn on the weaker than expected NFP last Thursday, though yields haven't backed off much at all (supply incoming etc), USD stays firm, no JPY turn without interventions! UBS dollar scandal: Seven subordinates punished alone. Instead of heads rolling at the top, there are only scapegoats: an internal investigation with eleven hours of interrogations. Finma lets the bank continue... Peruvian and Colombian presidential elections: Expatriate vote helps far right clinch victory The new UBS Global Wealth Report 2026 is out, The US ranks #2 when you look at average (mean) wealth per adult, but drops to #28 when you look at the median UBS-Dollar-Skandal: Sieben Subalterne allein bestraft – Inside Paradeplatz 'Swiss Elon Musk' jailed for fraud - SWI swissinfo.ch US job creation cools in June with payrolls growth of just 57,000; unemployment rate at 4.2% Silver's retreat looks more like a pause than a reversal – The Armchair Trader Global Wealth Report 2026 The US likes to proclaim its extraordinary wealth, yet much of that wealth is concentrated in the hands of a small group of oligarchs. Their extreme fortunes push up average figures and create the impression that typical Americans are very wealthy. In reality, median wealth in the US is lower than in Slovenia and Portugal, and roughly half the level found in Italy. Peruvian and Colombian presidential elections: Expatriate vote helps far right clinch victory China test-launches a ballistic missile in the South Pacific | AP News ITV and Sky reshape British TV landscape with $2.1 billion deal | Reuters EasyJet shares soar 10% as budget airline agrees $7.3 billion Castlelake takeover The betting markets suggest Farage could quit. Without him, Reform are nothing | The Independent Hedgeye on X: "China's Real Estate Market has erased all gains from the last 20 years https://t.co/97B9OuBZie" / X

No limit... OpenAI proposes handing Trump administration 5% stake. Sam Altman’s start-up in early talks for a public ownership deal as political pressure rises, and Trump says Micron will be investing $250 million into Trump Accounts Markets : In the past two days: Citi, Bank of America (''Hedge the rally''..), Citadel, IMF, Apollo & BIS have all warned for one reason or another. There’s a signal there somewhere…, Leveraged Fund Short Position in SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) Futures hits an all-time high, some $700 Billion in Notional Exposure in shorts... (beware short covering!!..), Fed's Warsh vows to 'disappoint' anyone who thinks he will tolerate inflation above 2%, Google loses in court against the record fine of 4.1 bio EUR, there should be little surprise is BoJ gets involved with JPY again as we head into the new quarter Eurozone headline inflation printed 0.6% below ECBs own expectations (for the Q3 peak) from the forecast made in June >> ECB forecasts HUGELY offside already US, Iran talks conclude in Doha, focused on Strait of Hormuz. Sources familiar with the discussions said negotiators for the two countries spent two days in Doha discussing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and unfreezing Iran's funds Brexit turned Britain into a vulnerable third country outside the Single Market just as trade wars between big blocs intensified Hedge fund run by UK’s wealthiest financier loses £200m tax battle, says UK no longer a serious contender as a place to do business.... sour grapes or ?.. CITI WARNS OF GROWING BEARISH PRESSURE ON NASDAQ Citi says bearish positioning is building in the Nasdaq and S&P 500, with elevated long positions leaving the Nasdaq vulnerable to further selling. Meanwhile, investors continue rotating into small-cap stocks. In Europe, weakening flows point to fragile sentiment, while Asia shows mixed positioning, with bullish bets in South Korea and heavy bearish positioning in Hong Kong increasing short-squeeze risks. BOFA: HEDGE THE RALLY Bank of America is urging investors to hedge further S&P 500 gains, warning the recent rally is losing momentum and could give way to a “three-wave correction” through September. Technical strategist Paul Ciana sees the index falling as low as 6,850—about 8% below current levels—and warns that even new highs could be a “head fake” before a broader pullback. Ukraine war latest: Children among 13 killed in Russian attack on Kyiv Fed's Warsh vows to 'disappoint' anyone who thinks he will tolerate inflation above 2% | Reuters Euro zone inflation falls more than expected, adding to ECB case for patience Barchart on X: "Leveraged Fund Short Position in SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) Futures hits an all-time high, with more than $700 Billion in Notional Exposure 🚨 🚨 https://t.co/q3wiPe24Bb" / X UK 'no longer a serious place' as hedge fund loses £200m battle in LLP tax row Sam Altman’s OpenAI proposes handing Trump administration 5pc stake EU slashes import quotas on UK steel by nearly a quarter – POLITICO Eurobarometer: 74% of Europeans say that their country has benefited from being a member of the EU | The Diplomat Bucharest Chaos bei Swissquote? – Inside Paradeplatz Chaos at Swissquote? Tax statement cut in half, tax voucher corrected, incorrect account debit. Are these isolated incidents, or is something amiss in the digital bank’s back office? Xiaoyin Qu on X: "I’m bullish on OpenAI’s $1 trillion valuation (not anthropic) despite free Chinese models. Here’s why: 1. OpenAI has Codex(better product IMO) and OpenClaw and supports open source more. Allows people to use Codex subscription on openClaw/Hermes. Codex also supports other" / X No kidding... The world's carmakers are struggling to compete with China Revealed: Reform mega-donor’s jet fuel business linked to refineries using Russian oil Reform mega-donor's jet fuel firm linked to refineries using Russian oil - Unearthed Mind boggling stuff.. this guy... Aaron Rupar on X: "here is the entirety of Palantir CEO Alex Karp's televised nervous breakdown this morning on CNBC https://t.co/gzD8debrKB" / X

Supreme Court cements Trump's power over agencies long considered independent, The conservative majority will hand the president sweeping control over the executive branch, the FTC, the NLRB, the whole alphabet, but it drew one bright line around the Federal Reserve, at least he doesn't have control of the FED....yet anyway.. Trump reported ''earning'' at least $1.4 billion in 2025 from crypto and coin ventures.. Markets : French and German inflation came in incredibly soft yday, EU inflation this morning >> the ECB has made a policy error and will pivot again soon, if not very soon.. #EURO, JPY, CHF and GOLD continue to weaken into quarter-end, let's see now, beware short covering, Microsoft is planning to announce job cuts impacting thousands of roles next week, overall we remain bearish #CHF #underweight Russia has just closed numerous checkpoints between Estonia, Latvia and Finland ..Trump told G7 leaders he is disappointed with Putin and may drop the so-called "Anchorage agreements.", FUEL shortages in Russia, Crimea etc getting pretty serious! Chinese models charge as little as 18 cents per million tokens versus $4 average for top models, says CitiBank Research, China’s open-source AI push (govt-backed) is designed to crush margins to zero. If everyone can get frontier-level models for free, US labs can’t monetize, and that pressure ripples out to the broader US economy #JPY Japan Is Running Out of Easy Choices The yen breaking beyond 162 against the dollar is not just a currency headline. It is the market testing whether Japan’s intervention zone still has power/Thread US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff had positive discussions with regional leaders in Qatar and technical talks with Iran are moving ahead Cleveland Fed President Hammack says AI could fuel inflation, rate hikes may be necessary Russia to halt multiple railway checkpoints on borders with Finland, Estonia, Latvia Supreme Court cements Trump's power over independent agencies : NPR The Supreme Court just made Trump the most powerful president in generations Inflation cools in biggest euro economies, easing rate hike urgency | Reuters #CHF Swiss central bank buys CHF3.94bn foreign currency in Q1 - SWI swissinfo.ch basically hardly any interventions, drop in the ocean Cleveland Fed President Hammack says AI could fuel inflation, rate hikes may be necessary Trump's income topped $2 billion in 2025, boosted by crypto, coin ventures Earnings ?... really.. All totally normal.. Trump reported making more than $594 million from sales by World Liberty Financial, the crypto firm whose co-founders include Trump, his sons, and Steven Witkoff, a top diplomat in his administration. Zach Witkoff, the special envoy’s son, serves as chief executive officer Trump is probably a shareholder in Clark Construction.. Trump using 'unusual arrangement' to secretly funnel $500 million to his ballroom: report Analysis-Cheaper AI Is Better: Soaring Bills Are Reshaping How Businesses Choose Models EndGame Macro on X: "Japan Is Running Out of Easy Choices The yen breaking beyond 162 against the dollar is not just a currency headline. It is the market testing whether Japan’s intervention zone still has power. Tokyo spent roughly ¥11.7 trillion buying yen between late April and late May, yet USD https://t.co/2ANncQip8j" / X Make this corruption/clear insiders... Axon Enterprise (AXON) Stock Drew Ethics Questions After Trump Bought $5 Million In Shares US says Witkoff, Kushner had positive talks in Doha on Iran, Trump sticks to diplomacy Microsoft Eyes Thousands of New Job Cuts in Coming Days - Business Insider Tymofiy Mylovanov on X: "Trump told G7 leaders he is disappointed with Putin and may drop the so-called "Anchorage agreements." After their August 2025 meeting in Alaska, Washington was reportedly ready to let Russia take all of Donetsk region as part of a peace deal. — Forbes Ukraine. 1/ https://t.co/5lNONXezsB" / X

China is effectively flooding the US market with open‑source AI models that are close enough to state‑of‑the‑art and essentially free. No one is going to turn down the opportunity to cut an AI spend from 100 million to 10 million, even if the model isn’t perfect. In that environment, Anthropic and OpenAI cannot easily justify their pricing or their valuations, which helps explain why IPO plans have suddenly stalled. The real bubble in AI is in the pricing of AI. DeepSeek’s funding is directly backed by the Chinese government, and the strategic risk is clear: Chinese models may keep getting better, faster, cheaper – and remain open‑source – while US models are export‑controlled, expensive, and closed. A year ago, almost nobody would have believed that Chinese AI systems could be broadly comparable to US models at roughly 10% of the cost, yet that’s exactly the world we’re moving into Markets : DOW at record high to close H1 2026, NIKKEI had its sharpest quarterly advance since 1965 (up 38% !), while KOSPI is up 70% driven by chipmakers, JPY to a 40year low (BoJ fail !, and againJPN authorities 'stand ready to intervene' apparently, USDollar rallies strongly, #MSTR Strategy abandons ‘Never Sell Bitcoin’ mantra in bid to outlast Crypto winter Coinbase switched to open-weight Chinese models from Zhipu and DeepSeek, and shaved nearly 50% off the company's internal AI spending !!.. China factory activity grows faster than expected in June on tech export demand Iran reiterated plans to maintain control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a sign it has no intention of returning to the status quo before expected negotiations. Tehran will send a delegation to Doha but said no direct talks with US officials are planned China Matches Anthropic in AI Cybersecurity Race — The AI Chronicle Coinbase's CEO pitches Chinese open weight AI models as solution to rising bills - Cryptopolitan >>> the moment cost start to matter and China 'wins' over U.S on AI ? The numbers are absolutely ridiculous: Running the same enterprise workload through Anthropic's Claude costs $4,811. Running it through Zhipu's GLM 5.2 costs $544. That's a 9x price difference for equivalent output Chinese AI Models 2026: 90% Cheaper Than GPT-5 Yet Matching Performance – Full Breakdown | AICost Blog China factory activity grows faster than expected in June on tech export demand Oil stocks in US Strategic Petroleum Reserve fall by 5.5 million to lowest level since 1983 | Reuters Michael Saylor Breaks ‘Never Sell’ Vow: Why and How Will Strategy Offload Bitcoin? Supreme Court lets Trump fire FTC member, boosts presidential power Brexit After a Decade: What Changed for the UK Economy and Europe? | LinkedIn History will judge Brexit not by the arguments made in 2016, but by the outcomes delivered for the decades to come. Swiss Federal Railways tests solar panels — early success shines Why the AI boom could keep interest rates higher for longer – The Armchair Trader Ukraine war latest: Russian attacks kill 15, injure 118 across Ukraine, as casualties rise from morning strike on Dnipro Anton Gerashchenko on X: "Over the past few days, a lot of important things have happened. In recent days, my attention has been focused on Lukashenko and the activity within the Russian-Belarusian-Chinese triangle. For the first time after the meeting between Putin and Lukashenko at Valdai, there was https://t.co/SXkPXDFxIv" / X 16 June 2026 | Minutes of the Monetary Policy Board Meeting | RBA Barclays buys UK headquarters for £750m in Canary Wharf boost

China’s AI strategy could be to undercut OpenAI and Anthropic by releasing highly capable foundation models for free, driving the marginal cost of advanced AI intelligence toward zero. With abundant, low‑cost electricity, China could then “export compute” at scale, much as it once did with manufactured goods. The main bottleneck today is access to cutting‑edge chips, but if domestic players like Huawei close that gap, we may enter a world where, instead of paying Western incumbents hundreds of billions for AI services, users access comparable intelligence at negligible cost. In your view, what are the economic and geopolitical consequences of such a shift — and would it be ultimately beneficial or harmful?... Markets : ..Excessive AI spending risks global financial consequences, BIS warns, US equity futures rose after the US and Iran agreed to halt attacks on each other before peace talks resume in Doha this week. The move signals de-escalation after days of tit-for-tat strikes that tested a fragile truce. Oil pared gain, USD still looks good to ok, but watch out IMM positioning (not that it is all that counts) + quarter-end flows U.S administration is working to unwind decades of sanctions on Iran as part of a deal to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. The US has authorized the sale of Iranian oil and fuels and pledged to unlock billions in frozen funds, with a 14-point memorandum of understanding including the removal of all US sanctions on Iran on "an agreed upon schedule". Putin says Russia will press on with front-line campaign regardless of Ukraine proposals, and Putin details Russia’s fuel shortages after Ukrainian drone strikes Japan targets more than doubling real growth to over 1% in economic blueprint BIS Warns AI Debt Bubble Could Spark Global Financial Crisis Ole S Hansen on X: "COT on #forex shows a post-FOMC jump in the IMM $USD long to a seven-year high: Dollar buying resumed in the week to 23 June, with the greenback gaining 1.5% following the Fed's hawkish shift and political turmoil in the UK that triggered sterling selling. The aggregate IMM net https://t.co/8v5NIcvt9z" / X OpenAI Eyes 2027 IPO Delay As Washington Clears Anthropic's Mythos Precious Metals Poised for a Reversal? Crude Oil At Key Support While Cocoa Extends Its Bull Market US says it has agreed to 'stand down' after exchange of strikes with Iran New Meta Prediction Market to Challenge Polymarket and Kalshi MAKE IT STOP !!!! meta has created enough problems around the world, without having to make more folks loose money now, a reminder that 85% of users LOSE money on prediction markets platforms, and that 3/4 of payouts go to the 2% of users.. AIs next phase From memory winners to efficiency enablers | Saxo Bank Switzerland Key points: Memory remains a critical AI bottleneck, but the trade is no longer one-way. AI demand continues to support memory suppliers, but higher memory and storage costs are starting to affect customers across the value chain — from consumer devices to hyperscaler capex. The “AI tax” is becoming visible in consumer technology. Recent price increases from Apple, Xbox, Sony and Nintendo show that the memory squeeze is moving beyond semiconductor earnings into hardware pricing, affordability and upgrade cycles. The next phase of AI may favour efficiency over pure capacity. As AI becomes more expensive to build and run, market focus is likely to shift toward companies and technologies that reduce inference costs, improve data movement, lower power and cooling needs, optimise software usage, and enable more on-device AI European aluminium producers press Brussels to close Russian import loophole China widens Japan export curbs, targeting drone makers, nuclear firms and defense institutes Japan targets more than doubling real growth to over 1% in economic blueprint | Reuters Putin says Russia will press on with front-line campaign regardless of Ukraine proposals Apple may soon extend price hike to iPhones, warn experts - Technology News | The Financial Express

Iran updates : Key parts of the oil market are suddenly awash in supply, as a stream of cargoes out of the Strait of Hormuz accelerates after the US-Iran agreement to open the waterway. Even before the deal, a combination of strategic inventory releases, a collapse in demand from top buyer China, and a substantial number of tankers sneaking “dark” out of the Persian Gulf had contributed to a small oversupply in some key markets, traders say Markets : MICRON smashed earnings and lifted overnight futures, ''rate hikes needed every few months, hawkish BOJ board member says'' (JPY stays weak though..), crude back to pre war levels almost, FED's preferred inflation gauge to accelerate in May, Junk bonds are flashing a warning signal (thread-chart), USD looks set to stay firm although beware month-quarter-end rebalancing flows now, real rates doing the damage for PM's at the moment, and supporting USdollar (deflationary vibes came from hawkish FED and lower oil..) There is every indication the war has reached a major turning point in Ukraine’s favor. Drone attacks have wiped out 50% oil supplies in Moscow, Russians are abandoning Crimea, Ukraine forces are pushing back Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, Russia economy collapsing (as per few various sources) "In Albania, the situation has completely spiraled out of control. The Albanian people are calling on all celebrities to speak out publicly about them. Amplify our voice to the world. We will not accept the occupation of our land by the United States and Israel." July 1, 2026, is not just another date on the calendar for the cryptocurrency sector in Europe: it marks the definitive end of the longest period of regulatory adaptation this market has ever experienced #BTC Brexit : ''the biggest mistake wasn’t Brexit, it was the referendum'' / Thread (indeed.. said it time and time again back then, a referendum is a consultation on what the folks think, not law..quite why Cameron made it law is beyond.... >>> 10 years on, the UK is still counting the cost of Brexit. Economists agree the economy is 4–6% smaller (some say up to 8%) than if we’d stayed due to trade barriers, lower investment and missed opportunities. Exports to the EU down, food/agriculture hammered, business investment lagging. The bill keeps growing. The regret is growing too. UK Stock Market News: easyJet, Serco, Moonpig Scott Bessent outlines 5 principles for Trump economic statecraft plan | Fox Business Micron (MU) earnings report Q3 2026 US-Iran War Live Updates Today: Pezeshkian Says Iran Now Recognised As 'Powerful, Dignified' Nation - News18 Putin's system is in a state of slow implosion - Archynewsy Ukraine to conduct preemptive attacks on facilities Russia uses for war, Zelenskiy says - AOL Federal Reserve stress test: U.S. banks can withstand $708B in losses The Fed's Preferred Inflation Gauge Reports on Thursday. It Could Send Stocks Lower. | The Motley Fool Elliott Wave International on X: "Junk bonds are flashing a warning signal. While the S&P 500 pushes toward new highs, CCC-rated junk bond spreads are moving in the opposite direction. When the trend between the two sectors diverge, it is almost always meaningful. This is just one of several warning signs https://t.co/yoH0hq5QsA" / X JPY EXCLUSIVE: Japan's government blueprint nudges BOJ to fuel demand, clouding rates path | Reuters Rate hikes needed every few months, hawkish BOJ board member says - The Japan Times Albania protests sparked by Jared Kushner-backed luxury resort plans snowball into anti-corruption movement - CBS News No fuel for sale as Ukraine's blockade of Russian-occupied Crimea takes effect MiCA comes into force in July: key implications for the sector Pretty bad outcome for crypto lovers Binance Withdraws Licensing Applications from Greece, Eyes France Amid Regulatory Hurdles Ed Miliband derailed plan to use North Sea oil to fund defence Better late than never.. The £5m question: Farage, Harborne, crypto policy and a timeline that raises very serious questions Liz Webster on X: "‼️ @hugorifkind says the biggest mistake wasn’t Brexit, it was the referendum. That rigid “will of the people” trap has delivered a decade of damage: lagging growth, weaker pound, falling exports, and lost opportunities. Electoral mandates shouldn’t be suicide pacts. Brexit https://t.co/K01L14Tvg7" / X

crude 4months lows... - Iran update : US Senate joins House in voting to halt Iran war, rebuking Trump. The Senate voted 50-48 in favor of the war powers resolution, which passed the House early this month, reflecting growing concern even among some of Trump's Republicans, Trump to Big Oil: lower your prices or the DOJ starts looking into you. The same guy who spent years promising to get government out of the way now wants it to enforce price movement on his timeline. The invisible hand just got a visible assist. Markets : tech struggling/momentum broken/back from space !, nothing too dramatic, yet anyway, beware markets may well have overheated already!, USDollar continues it's march/grind higher, remain bullish overall-stay behind momentum, big break sub 1.14 EURUSD (surprise 1.08 move ?..) and 0.8100+ USDCHF looks bullish, should take EURCHF and GBPCHF with it Trump has turned the White House into a 24/7 corruption operation. This is a national crisis / Thread from Senator Chris Murphy Asian stocks and US futures fluctuated after a global tech-led selloff revived concerns that the AI-driven equity rally had gone too far(BBG), BOJ June summary of opinions shows support for continued rate hikes SpaceX raised $25 billion in its debut US high-grade bond sale, though the wider spread on its 2036 notes underscored investor caution! Race for robotaxi market arrives in London UK politics, all change, Farage looks done too The Dutch government has agreed to work with the EU to change rules that have led to domestic funds dominating the country’s workplace retirement system >>> Dutch pensions alone represent a €1.5tn market. Across Europe, households and pension funds hold enormous pools of savings, but too much of it remains fragmented by national rules, domestic mandates and shallow capital markets, capital markets Union matters going forward...EURO savings to be turned into EUR investments at scale.. and Germany is also preparing the biggest pension reform in its recent history US: Senate vote calls for an end to Trump's Iran war in rare bipartisan rebuke BOJ June summary of opinions shows support for continued rate hikes EXCLUSIVE: Japan plans to better manage war chest for yen intervention, draft shows | Reuters SpaceX raises $25 billion in debt sale less than two weeks after IPO To repay crappy loans in othe companies.. Interest rate hikes remain on cards as Australia’s underlying inflation climbs, economists warn | Interest rates | The Guardian Netherlands plans to open workplace pensions market to foreign EU providers Marcos Agustín on X: "🇩🇪 Germany is preparing the biggest pension reform in its recent history. The reform would shift part of the pension system toward long-term capital-market investment, with proposals to invest around 2% of wages into productive assets This is positive for two reasons. 1." / X This is positive for two reasons. 1. First, it is economically sustainable and avoids locking the country's future into ever-rising pension spending as the population ages. 2. Second, it redirects capital into productive European assets, companies, infrastructure and innovation instead of using almost all pension contributions to finance current public spending What’s next for the UK's financial markets? – The Armchair Trader Andy Burnham plans cabinet reshuffle, Rachel Reeves set for reduced Treasury role He screwed up big time Is Nigel Farage's Ukraine gaffe the first mistake of his election campaign? | Politics News | Sky News Farage's £5m problem: do any of his defences hold up? Chris Murphy 🟧 on X: "Trump has turned the White House into a 24/7 corruption operation. This is a national crisis. Trump thinks the public will stop paying attention. So I went to the Senate floor to call his bluff. I told the ENTIRE STORY of his 500 days of corruption. 1/ Here it is - in one🧵 https://t.co/TA179vTprs" / X MSCI keeps South Korea as emerging market, delays Indonesia review amid downgrade risk Alphabet added to Dow Jones Industrial Average, replacing Verizon Germany news: Pistorius set to scrap warship project — media Race for robotaxi market arrives in London

It's been 10years, all those promises.. net results anything from 3-8pct lower GDP, and the global equity market rally that passed the U.K by, and now the country changes PM's all too often, many things have become ungovernable ! it was all pretty clear this was coming... Iran updates : The U.S waived sanctions on Iran for 60 days from Monday after the first talks under a nascent ​peace deal, while officials reported a sustained lull in fighting in Lebanon under the agreement aimed at ending hostilities across the region, crude low 70's, ''almost'' back to where it was pre war, Markets : UST yields decoupling (inflation, hawkish FED, large corp and govt issuance..!) from lower crude prices (same as JPY - no recovery so far with lower crude prices), Japan's Katayama held talks with US Treasury's Bessent on financial markets #JPY >>> HUGE IPO's have a tendency to arrive at/near peak of the markets ! #SpaceX , as discussed lately, should be no surprise to anyone if Techs, big Techs, QQQ peak around now...a reminder that SpaceX still trades near 100x sales, which is completely nuts.., momentum can change very rapidly.., >>> ''Dot-com was an equity bubble. AI is becoming an infrastructure debt bubble'' The U.K. economy has largely failed to experience a post-Brexit boost after upending ties with its largest trading partner. While shocks such as the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 hit growth globally, Stanford professor Nicholas Bloom estimates that by 2025, Brexit had reduced the U.K.’s GDP by 6-8%. OIL : The reduction in Chinese oil imports is one of the most important reasons oil prices are not going through the roof right now Saudi Arabia just dropped a bombshell: “We can no longer stand side by side with Trump. Let him save himself first, then save us.” SpaceX sheds $400bn in market value as debut rally hits reverse. Shares in Elon Musk’s AI and rockets group tumble more than 16% following fresh rise in US bond yields >> back down to earth ! Meta said on Monday it will pause ‌an internal program that tracks employee mouse movements and digital activity for ‌AI training as the social media giant investigates data security concerns Oracle's total workforce declined 13%, 21,000 employees, in fiscal 2026, AI adoption BofA now expects the Fed to hike rates three times this year, reversing its prior view of no changes. The firm sees 25 bps hikes in September, October, and December, taking the Fed funds range to 4.25%–4.5% by year-end. BofA now expects the first Fed rate cuts to come in 2028 10 years on: 'What Brexit changed for us' Brexit 10 years later: UK economy and politics in charts Japan's Katayama held talks with US Treasury's Bessent on financial markets - CNA Goolsbee sees 'note of unease' as Fed looks to next interest rate move Mike McGlone on X: "Crude, Gold, Commodities May Be No Match for T-Bonds in 2026 Gold, crude oil and the broader commodities complex are showing signs of peaking vs. US Treasury bonds. Surging commodity volatility stands in stark contrast to subdued Treasury-bond risk metrics. My analysis https://t.co/TjI7hjyhkW" / X Apollo Debt Solutions flagship fund hit by 17pc redemption requests US authorizes Iranian oil sales amid talks on final peace deal | Reuters Mark Leonard on X: "1/Ten years ago, Britain voted for Brexit. New ECFR/Mandate polling out this morning reveals something Westminster hasn't noticed: the country has quietly changed its mind — and not in the way you'd expect. The Leave/Remain divide is dead. Here's what replaced it. 🧵" / X China Moves the Price of Oil, Even When It Buys Less - The New York Times WAR on X: "🇸🇦🇺🇸MASSIVE U-TURN ALERT! Saudi Arabia just dropped a bombshell: “We can no longer stand side by side with Trump. Let him save himself first, then save us.” Saudi Arabia’s major announcement — for the first time in over 80 years, the Saudis are saying NO to the United https://t.co/Axm38GVNEX" / X Meta to pause internal mouse-tracking tech while examining data security issues Oracle workforce shrinks by about 21,000 employees

Iran updates : Brent crude falls after US-Iran talks, Iran said it had secured waivers for oil & petrochemical exports + the release of some frozen assets, reviving hopes that sanctions relief could return up to 1.5 million barrels per day of Iranian crude, Millions of barrels of oil flowed through Hormuz over the weekend despite Iran’s claims that it had closed the chokepoint again, Vance got (properly) humiliated at the talks in Luzern, ''Trump has gone from America First to Iran First'' many GOP saying..''The art of the surrender'' others are saying.. Markets : NIKKEI keep surging, UK on 'PM resignation' watch, SpaceX draws MSCI's lowest ESG rating, Norway introduces AI restrictions for under 13s, EURUSD key support 1.1400-50 (medium term stuff), USDCHF key res 0.8100 area, we like CHF weaker 'carry' also via EURCHF, GBPCHF (Burnham risk), BTC key 60K support, Apollo ''The Market is paying a premium for Companies that lose money'' (chart available if necessary, China restricts trading with some US rare earth companies SpaceX handed lowest possible ESG rating by MSCI. Triple C score puts Elon Musk’s company on par with Russia after 2022 invasion of Ukraine Meloni’s clear: allies must be respected, not obeyed. Partners must be engaged, not feared. And Europe must defend its interests with strength, pride and political courage #URA - A 155-ton reactor in Italy running on molten lead, with electric heaters faking the uranium, is about to make real electricity with zero nuclear fuel inside, a full-size test of the metal before any fuel goes in China targets dozens of U.S. firms in retaliation for Pentagon blacklist China restricts trading with some US rare earth companies Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Fires Back At Trump In New Salvo - AOL Trump told La7 that Meloni begged for a photo at the G7. Meloni answered, on camera, in Italian, "Neither I nor Italy ever beg." Trump escalated on Truth Social, claiming she asked "over and over" and suggesting her low approval traces back to declining to back the Iran war. Meloni answered again, in writing, that her popularity depends on defending Italian interests, not on her relationship with him, and that American base access in Italy runs on mutual agreements rather than personal goodwill. That last sentence is the real one. She is not describing a friendship gone sideways. She is describing an alliance with terms, and reminding him those terms do not include flattery. The biographer calls this a strategy shift among world leaders. It reads more like one head of state finally saying the obvious part out loud.... Iran war live: US-Tehran agree roadmap to reach final deal in 60 days | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera A 155-ton reactor in Italy running on molten lead, with electric heaters faking the uranium, is about to make real electricity with zero nuclear fuel inside, a full-size test of the metal before any fuel goes in SpaceX draws MSCI's lowest ESG rating, matching Russia after Ukraine invasion (SPCX:NASDAQ) | Seeking Alpha UBS zwingt Kunde nach 40 Jahren zu Digital-Identifikation – Inside Paradeplatz Swiss government warns of severe heatwave - SWI swissinfo.ch Stay cool ! Mark Leonard on X: "1/Ten years ago, Britain voted for Brexit. New ECFR/Mandate polling out this morning reveals something Westminster hasn't noticed: the country has quietly changed its mind — and not in the way you'd expect. The Leave/Remain divide is dead. Here's what replaced it. 🧵" / X Starmer expected to announce exit plan to clear way for Burnham to become PM | Keir Starmer | The Guardian UK jobs data error: ‘Artificially dampen’ labour market changes, dealing fresh blow to data credibility – Firstpost China targets dozens of U.S. firms in retaliation for Pentagon blacklist 'This might actually force some actual brain cells to fire': Norway is banning younger school kids from using generative AI | TechRadar NIKKEi keeps surging, UK